System designers often face configuration problems when the system incorporates commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices. In some cases, a first COTS device has some number of ports that need to be communicatively coupled with a second COTS device that has a different number of ports. To get around the mismatched number of ports, the system designer has to include additional COTS devices to increase the number of ports on the side of the interface that has too few ports. The addition of extra COTS devices increases the system costs. Likewise, the complexity of whole system increases with the addition of extra COTS devices. Additional software to manage the additional COTS devices has to be written, embedded and tested in the system. Such complex systems cannot be extended in a simple manner. When the port mismatch is resolved by adding another COTS device, there is generally an unused port in the additional COTS device when the system is operational.
It is desirable to increase the available port access for a system device without adding extra COTS devices that are only required to provide an interfacing port. It is further desirable to increase the available port access for a system device in a manner that is easily extendable as the system evolves over time.